Releasing mechanism for diffusion-cell doors.



Y Patented out. 9, |900. Ep c. Bunn, J. c. H. sTUT- & J. w. ATKINSON. RELEASING MECHANWISM'FOR DIFFUSION CELL DOORS.

, (Application .filed Nov. 27, 1899.)

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W1' tzzesses:

RDMUND c. BURR, or SAN FRANOISOO, JOHN c. H. STUr, OF OAKLAND, AND JOHN w. ATKINSON, or SANTA MARIA, OALIFORNIA.

RELEASING Miit'sHAtusv'l FOR DIFFUSION-CELL DOORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,361, dated October v9, 1900. Application led November 27, 1899. Serial No. 73.81478. (No model.)

' siding at Santa Maria, Santa Barbara county,

State of California, citizens 'of the United States, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in YReleasing Mechanism for Bottom-Covers of Diffusion-Cells; and we do hereby declare t-he following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the saine.v

Our invention relates to diffusion-batteries in sugar factories, and' especially to the cells of said batteries.

The object of our invention is to provide means for discharging the pulp from the cells with cheapness and despatch, and' .with the greatest convenience and safety to the workmen.

Our invention consists in the novel fastening and releasing bolt, which we shall now describe, and in a means for operating it to the best advantage.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a View of two diiusioncells, showing the application of our invention. Fig. 2 is a sectionof the lower portion of a cell, sho W- ing the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective of the yoke-bar connection D. Fig. 4 is a View of releasing lever and link.

The battery consists of a number of cells arranged in a row or circular-ly, as may be desired. The battery is composed of cells A.

B is a platform for the workmen.

Each cell has a bottom-cover C, which is adapted to it up closely to its seat, a gasket or packing-ring c intervening and forming a.

tight joint. To the lowerportion of the cell is pivoted at d a yoke bar or lever D, which forms at d' a pivoted connection with the bottom-cover C. The free extremity of this bar is forked, as shown at d?, and is adapted to receive the swinging b'olt E, pivoted at e to the cell. A nut F is seated on the lower end of bolt E and when screwed up bears under the yoke-bar D, and thus causes the latter to press and hold the bottom-cover O to its seat. Now if when the cell is ready to be discharged the nut F be turned down only a little, so as to relieve its pressure on the yoke-bar somewhat, the swinging bolt can be suddenly knocked orthrown out to completely free the yoke-bar, and thus to suddenly drop the bottom-cover under the weight of the mass above. The advantage is that while the loosening of the nut slightly is sufficient to enable the bolt to be knocked or drawn out it is not snfcient to let the cover drop enough to permit even the water of the cell contents to squirt out and splash. Therefore in this necessary preliminary work the Operatoris protected. After that the full release is so quick that the complete discharge is effected without squirting or splashing and with great facility and despatch.

In order to insure the swinging free of the bolt from under the yoke-bar, we make the under surface of said bar slightly convex or rounding, as is shown at d3, making its curve on a radius to the pivotal center of the bolt. The latter can therefore be released from the bar without'such difficultyas would be present if the upper face of the nut in describing its arc should have to pass upon a plane surface.

This construction also permits the very slightest loosening of the nut to enable the bolt to be swung out. If the under surface of the bar were a straight one, the nut would have'to be turned back enough to let it clear the corner as the bolt swung out. This difference is important in that it is only by the minimum loosening of the nut that the contents of the cell can be prevented from splashing or squirting out prior to the full discharge.

Although any suitable means may be used by the workman to swing or knock the bolt out, we have provided a simple and convenient device Kor mechanism as follows: To a rim-beam b of the platform B is bolted, one opposite each cell, a bearing G. H is a lever which is adapted to be pivoted at its lower end by a removable bolt or pin h inany one of the bearings G. TO this lever, at the point I, is pivoted a link J, the other end of which is provided or formed with a means for engaging the nut F. A hook or a n eye j, such as here shown, is a good means vfor effecting this engagement, and to further this we make the upper portionfof the nut F a circular grooved one, so that the eye j of the IOO link J when swung up over the nut from below will readily seat itself in said grooved portion. Then by pulling back on the lever H the swinging bolt E will be drawn out, as heretofore described.

By making the lever H removable the workman can readily take it, with its attached link J, from one cell to another as each is ready to be discharged and there fit it to the corresponding bearing G.

When any cell is ready to be discharged, the work man with a wrench turns down the nut F slightly, and then having tted his lever and pulling-link draws the bolt E out, and the discharge of the pulp is practically instantaneous and with safety and convenience to the workman.

YV is a counterweight for the bottom-cover.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with a cell or tank, having a bottom-cover, a yoke-bar pivoted at one extremity, and having a connection between its extremities with said bottom-cover, and a swinging bolt, having a nut adapted to bear up under the free extremity of said yoke-bar, the under surface of which, forming the bearing for the nut, being curved, to permit the nut and bolt to swing outwardly.

2. In combination with a cell or tank, having a bottom-cover, a yoke-bar pivoted at one extremity, connected with the bottom-cover, and having, at its other extremity, a fork, the under surface of which is rounded or convexed toits outer end, a swinging bolt, adapted to enter the fork extremity of the yokebar, and a nut on the lower end of said bolt adapted to bear under the curved under surface of said forked extremity of the yoke-bar.

3. In combination with a cell or tank, having a bottom-cover, a yoke-bar pivoted at one extremity, and having a connection with the bottom-cover,aswinging bolt, andanut thereon adapted to engage the curved free extremity of said yoke-bar, and means for engaging said nut to pull the swinging bolt out and free the yoke-bar and bottom-cover.

4. In combination with the bottom-cover of a cell or tank, a holding mechanism therefor, consisting of a pivoted yoke-bar, a swinging bolt, and a nut thereon, and a releasing mechanism, consisting,r of a pivoted lever, and a connected link having means for engaging the nut.

5. In combination with the bottom-cover of a cell or tank, a holding mechanism therefor, consisting of a pivoted yoke-bar, having a curved or convex under surface at its free extremity, a swinging bolt, and a nut on said bolt adapted to bear under said curved or convex surface of the yoke-bar extremity, and a releasing mechanism, consisting of a pivoted lever, and a connected lilik, having means for engaging the nut.

6. In a diffusion-battery, having a series of cells each with a bottom-cover, a means for holding each bottom-cover, consisting of a pivoted yoke-bar, a swinging bolt, and a nut thereon to engage the free end of the yokebar, a means for releasing said holding means, consisting of a portable lever, and a pullinglink carried by said lever, and havinga means for detachably engaging the nut of the swinging bolt, and a series of bearings, corresponding to vthe diffusion-cells, in any of which the portable lever may be pivoted.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

EDMUND C. BURR. JOHN C. H. STUT. JOHN W. ATKINSON.

Witnesses to the signatures of E. O. Burr and J. O. H. Stut:

D. B. RIoHARDs, WALTER F. VANE. y

Witnesses tothe signature of J. W. Atkinson:

A. L. PARSONS, W. F. KELLEY. 

